Abstracts

Sophie Verreyken, Dipping into the sources. Image and urban development in seventeenth- century Spa

Sparked by Joseph Wechsberger’s observation that ‘No spa is better than its reputation which often rests on the visitors rather than its springs’, this article focuses on the interplay between the successful reputation of the health resort and the urban development of the city of Spa during the seventeenth century. The historiography of Spa still tells its history as a story of rise and decline, strongly characterized by a biographical approach, little taking into account Spa’s unique location in the ‘neutral’ prince-bishopric of Liège. By using a wide array of sources, from international newspapers to local engravings, a new emphasis is placed on the role of visitors in the evolution of Spa from a small but renowned Ardennes health resort to a modern fashionable spa.

Anna van Gerve, A new dialogue with nature. The position of Louis le Roy in the development of more natural public green in the 1970’s In the 1970’s

Louis G. le Roy (1924-2012) became known for his ecological experiments in urban space. His autonomous project the ‘Eco-cathedral’, which he dedicated himself to from 1983 onwards, has however generated the most attention in literature. This creates the risk of portraying Le Roy as an outsider, removed from the context of garden and landscape architecture. It is questionable whether this characterization of Le Roy does justice to his work and motivation. On the basis of three comparative analyses (with ‘heemparks’, nature parks and neighbourhood green space), this article demonstrates how Le Roy’s theories and practice relate to the philosophies and policies on nature within the urban environment of the 1970’s. This results in a better understanding of Le Roy’s position within garden and landscape architecture and of his value within today’s society.

Thomas Coomans and Reinout Klaarenbeek, The urban spatial metamorphosis after the secularisation of religious houses in Belgium from 1773 to 1860

This article presents an ongoing research on the secularization of public space and urban redevelopment after the demolition and reuse of religious houses and churches at the turn of the nineteenth century. The first aim concerns the actors and the mechanisms transformation of the convents, whether they were demolished or recycled. The second aim concerns the heritagisation of reused religious houses, which was fed from the 1830s by new national identity narratives that included historic monuments as well as Catholic Revival. Brussels, Bruges and Antwerp are the three study cases. The article defines seven scenarios of urban metamorphosis resulting of the transformation of former convents. The data are implemented in a historical gis that allows analysing the transformations on the level of buildings, neighbourhoods, and town.

Bart van der Steen, The paper trail of a revolt. The squatters movement and its historiography

This review article analyzes the development of history writing on the Dutch and German squatters movement in the 1980s and 1990s, departing from the notion that the movement’s development strongly affected the research questions and methodology of historians. While the first observations and analyses were heavily inspired by a moral panic, research soon took more solid shape, as it moved in the direction of New Social Movements. After the movement had passed its peak, and squatters started writing down their memoirs, the focus shifted to identity formation and the narratives of the movement. To take the next step, new research should build on this, while focusing even more on internationalization and digitalization of research findings. With regard to research topics, migration, the position of women in the movement and the movement’s social composition should receive more attention.